Artillery: Why Cannon need to be proved: King James II, 1460
King James II, and why Cannon need to be proved
In the 15th century, King James the II of Scotland held an extensive collection of artillery in his arsenals. He had married Mary of Gueldres, a princess from Burgundy. At that time, Burgundy was one of the most advanced European nations in military technology. Heavy artillery (including the bombard Mons Meg) fcame as gifts to James from hi s new father-in-law. In 1460 James brought his cannon to bear on the English-held fortress of Roxburgh Castle. Unfortunately, a faulty siege-gun exploded, wounding and leading to the death of the king.
As documented in the Asloan Manuscript, MS. 16500, f.247,
"The yere of god 1460 the thrid sonday of August King James the The year of God 1460 the third Sunday of August King James the secund with ane great ost was at the siege of Roxburgh and unhappely second with a great host was at the siege of Roxburgh and unhappily was slane with ane gun the quhilk brak in the fyring for the quhilk was slain with a gun, which broke in the firing for the which was there great dolour throu all Scotland and nevertheless all the there was great sorrow though all Scotland. Despite this the lordis that war thar remanit still with the ost and on the Fryday efter Lords that were there remained with the army and on the Friday after, richt wysly and manfully wan the forsaid castell and tynt nocht a man right wisely and manfully they won the forsaid castle and lost not a man in the winning of it. in the winning of it."
James II, (born 16 Oct 1430, Edinburgh, Scot.—died 3 Aug 1460, Roxburgh Castle, Roxburgh), king of Scots from 1437 to 1460. He survived the civil strife of the first half of his reign and eventually emerged as a masterful ruler who consolidated his power throughout the kingdom.
Known as ‘James of the fiery face’ for the bright red birthmark that covered a whole side of his countenance, James II was one of the most forceful of the Stewart rulers. Just six when his father James I was murdered in 1437, all through his childhood and adolescence the Douglases vied with other nobles for control of him. He was 18 when he married a niece of the Duke of Burgundy, Mary of Gueldres, in 1449 and took charge of matters for himself.
With a temperament as fiery as his face, James loved hunting, tournaments and war. He was fascinated by artillery and the Duke of Burgundy gave him the Mons Meg siege gun, which is still at Edinburgh Castle. Short of money until he killed the Earl of Douglas with his own hands in 1452 and then confiscated the Douglas estates, he used the income to support his own effective government. He also had to deal with the English, whose fingers were in Scotland’s pie. While cultivating alliances abroad and negotiating with both the Yorkists and the Lancastrians during the Wars of the Roses, James assaulted Berwick in 1455, mounted a sally into Northumberland in 1456, raided the English-held Isle of Man and attacked Berwick again in 1457.
The English had long possessed Roxburgh Castle in the Borders and in 1460 James led an army to besiege it. He was standing close to one of his prized cannon when he ordered it to be fired, possibly to salute the arrival of Queen Mary. The cannon exploded and James was mortally wounded. According to Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, writing a hundred years later, his thigh was snapped in two and he was ‘stricken to the ground and died hastily’. He was 29 years old. Roxburgh Castle fell to his forces a few days later. (McGladdery, Christine (2015). James II. Edinburgh: John Donald)
(Lee Sie Photo)
Mons Meg, a medieval supergun of the first half of the 15th century from Edinburgh, Scotland.
